Fuse-plug



No. 6|7,765. Patented Ian. I7, |899. L. C. URRELL.

FUSE PLUG.

(Application Sled Sept. 25, 1897.)

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

. lPatented lan. I7, |899. L. C; ORRELL.

FUSE PLUG (Application med Sept. 25, 1897.)

(No Moel.)

UNITEDl STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LESLIE C. ORRELL, OF IIICAGOe ILLINOIS..

Fuse-PLUG.'

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,76 January 17, 1.899. Application filed September 25, 1897. Serial No. 652,943- .QTO model.)

. To all whom it '.may concern: A

Beit known that I, LESLIE Q. ORRELL, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have inventedpcertain new and useful` Improvements in Fuse-Plugs; and Ido hereby declare that the following -is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference .being'had to ings, and to the letters of Areferencedhdrked thereon,whieh form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvementsn automatic cut-outs for electric circuits, and

refers more specifically to that class of such cnt-outs comprising a cylindrie body or plug provided with means for detachably securing a fuse-wire thereto and which is adapted for use'with a base or block having a socket with which said plug has screw-threaded connection. Y

The object of the invention is `to provide an improved device of this character in which the fuse-wire may be readily and easi1y'at tached to and detached from the plug, so that when said wire has been fused by'an excessive current passing therethrough it may be removed from the plug and a new one insorted in lieu thereof withoutlthe necessity of discarding the entire plug, as has heretofore been common. l

Another object of the'invention is to providelan improvement whereby the fusing of the wire will not tend to render inoperative the parts of the device for clamping the ends of the wire.

The 'invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and more particularly point ed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figurelvis a face view of two fuse-plugs and a fuse-blockmade in accordance with my in vention` Fig. 2 is a or edge vcwitieredf. 3 is a. detail top or face view of oneof thefuse-plugs with its cap removed. views taken on thelines 4 4 and 5 5, respectively, of said fFig. 3. Fig. 6 is a perspective the cLsmping devices for the fuse-wire.- Fig. 7 is a cross-section taken on lines 7 7 of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a detail crossseetion taken on line 8 8 of Fig. -1.

A fuse-plug made in. accordance with my invention consists in its. main fdhtures ofa the accompanying drawpressions a a, which 4recesses and the holding' devices. Figs. 4- and 5 are sectional solid body of insulating material of suitable form adapted for detachable connection with a fuse block orv bas and provided with two recesses, within which are located clamping devices which engage the. opposite ends of the fuse-wire and by which said wire is held in place. Said plug is provided with means vfor holding the clamping devic in place, and said clamping devices are electrically' connected through the-plug and the holdingblock with the opposite-terminals of the linewire in any usualor preferred manner.

My invention is herein shown as embodied in a plug A, which isof ordinary construction so far as its general shape is concerned. Said plugis redueedin diameter in its 'lower end to' t within a socket in a base or block B,of usual construction,with which the socket has screw-threaded connection.q v =`Said reduced portion is provided =with an exterior metallic cover Orshoath A', upon which are formed exterior screw-threads and which v serves as a portion of the metallic connec` tion between one end 'of the fuse-wire and one terminal of the line-wire, as will hereinafter more fully appear. The plug is provided on its upper end with a cap A2, which ineloses the same and .the operative parts mounted thereon, said cap fitting over the outer circumference of the plug and having screw-threaded connection therewith. Said body portion of the plugwill -be made of any suitable insulating material, such as glass, porcelain, or the like.- v. vWithin-the upperor enlarged part of the plug and adjacent to the periphery, on one side thereof, are for\med two recesses or def open at the upper face thereof, and within each of which is mounted a clamping device C, to.which the oppose ends more clearly in the plan view, Fig. 25.

of afnsewim D are Rttaehed'asshown" Said therein are 'ofA oblong rectangular shape as seen in plan View and are arranged obliquely with respect to each other or with the parts thereof adjacent tothe center of the'plug at a greater distance 'apart'than the opposite 'io .sides of the. same.

Said clamping devices are generally similar in theirconstruction and mode of operation to the clamping devices shown and described in my prior patmounted ent, No. 542,713, dated July 16, 1895, and are -made as follows:`The main frame or body 'portion of each of said clamping devices consists of a base-plate, which rests on the bottom of the recess a, and a guide-plate C2, arranged at right angles to the baseplate and of a length approximately equal to thedepth of the recess and adapted to'rest against one of the side faces thereof. Said guideplate C2 is provided on the opposite edges thereof between its ends with integral guidearms C,

-which are bent to form guides and which serve tohold in place audguide the movable portion of the device.- Said moyhlipart of the device consists of a. shalikC of less width than the' guide-plate C, which engages the latter' and is embraced bythe guide-arms C,

, and a clamping-plate' C5fwhich is arranged `vat its inner end inthebase-plate of the staiv The movable part of the device is held yieldat right angles with the shank C* and parallel with lthe'plane ofthe base-plate C' of the sta# tionary frame. j

C" designates a guide-pin which is mounted tionary part of the device and extends at ,its

outer -eudthrough a=-guide-aperture in theclamping-plate C. Said guide-pin is provided;

in .its' upper end abovelthe plate C"v with a clamping-head Ci, which is parallel with the clampiug-plate C5 and coacts with the upper face thereof to clamp and hold the fuse-wire.l

ingly against the clamping-head vby means of a suitably-applied spring C, which, as herein shown, is arranged spil-ally around the pin Cs and is engaged at its opposite ends with the base-plate C; and the clamping-plato C. when it id detired to detach the adjacent end of the wire'D, the movable-part of the de plug, by means of a connecting-strip E'. Said vstrip E' is herein shown and will preferably be made an integral part of the base portion C' of the clamping device. As herein shown', said strip is joined to the plate C' at the inner corner thereof, or thatadjacent to the center of the plug, and thence carried downwardly through an oblique opening a' in the body of' the plug to the contact device E. Said strip will conveniently be carried at its lower end slightly beyond the lower face of the plug, and the extreme end will be bent at an angle thereto or. parallel with the central longitudinal axis of 'the plug. The conA t'act-platewill be provided centrally with an aperture which said extreme end of tho strip engages and by means of which said contactpoint may be secured to the strip and'in place bysoldering, or otherwise.V Said contactei'men l plate is adapted to engage the terminal-B'in the socket of the block connected with the lin ewire in a manner B, which terminal is usual 'in such constructions, said line-wire heingattached to a hinding-poat .B, which has metallicl connectionV with the .terminal B- iu the bottom. of the socket, with which"v the f central contact-plateE has engagement', Awhen said plug is in place in the socket-i The clamping-,strip which engagesthe posite end of the .fuse-wireis of a 'construe-"1.' tion like that last described, with the excepftion thatsaid first-mentioned device isfelec-l trically connected with the exteriorV covering or sheath plus,

-Aof the reduced portion ,ofv the as clearly shown' in,Fg`. The lower' xor horizontal-portion of the stationary part'.-

of the clamping device is shown as -provid ed a5 with a shortiutegral;connectingstripEf, -l'

Fig. 8,' which is attached'to the innerend of said device with to'theceuter of. the glug' and is carried connectedat its lower en d withfthe :upper ownwardly through and edge ol said metallic sheath,'being preferably* .y connected thereto by soldering or ,like means'. j

The line-wire will be connected with the last-' mentioned holdingdevice of th'eplug through threaded to -recoive -the ontje'r covering or sheath A' of the reduced portion of the plug,

said ring .being in metalloconnection with a binding-post B* on the block in a familiar manner. Said clamping devicesV are herein shown as held-in place withinthe recesses of the plug both by the attachment'of the con-,

neming-strips with the exterior contact plates IOC- 'or pieces and also by means of holding-screws F, which pass through radial openings in the sides of the plug and engage the outer faces l of the holding devices. As herein shown, the inner ends of fsaid. screwsare` reduced and provided withhscrew-theads which engage -interiorly-sgew-threaded apertures in the guide-plates of said holding devices. The use of such screws or other special retaining means is not, however, esseutiahit being obvious that the holding devceswill be suciently retained in place for most purposes by the attachment of the connectingstrips thereof with the exterior covering A' and the contact-plate E, as before set forth.

A solid cylindric plug of insulating material provided with recesses for holding de.

vices constructed to detachably hold the fusewire is a great improvement over such fuseplugs as heretofore in common use. The cylindric screw-plu gs fnow in common use are provided with a fuse wire or strip whichis permanently embedded in the' same, so tha.A

when said wire becomes fused or burned out the plug must either be thrown away entirelyor refittedwith a fuse-wire by one who is skilled infsuch work. The common praotice,. as it has come nnder'my observatiomis to throw away-burned-out pl ngsand niutattemp't to renewthe fuso-wires. With. my construction,-on the o'ther hand', these plugs may be used indefinitely, it only being required when a fuse has been burned out to replace the fusi wire, and this can be dono easily and quickly by.one not ing special skill.

As a further improvement in holding dcvlces of the character described the free cnd of the clamping-plate Cs thereof is shown as bent outwardly to form' a lip C. The object of this feature of construction is to insure a xo perfect contact between the. fuse-wire and said contact-plate adjacent to and outside of the point at which the fuse-wire is clamped. In the practical use of constructions wherein the opposite ends of a fuse-wire are clamped I5 between two clamping-surfaces which are in the circuit of the line-wire I have found that if said wire docs not have perfect contact with the holding device outside of the point at which the ends are clamped therein and a' :o current suicient to fuso the wire be thrown thereon an are will be formed between the divided ends of the f nse-wire up totheir points of attachment with the holdingdevices and between the coacting parts thereof, with z5 the result that the wire will be melted and the clamping parts soldered together by the resulting molten metal. When an excessive current is thrown upon the wire, the contactfaces of the clamping -devioes have been 3o known tobecome fused together, so as to render the device wholly inoperative. By form- 5 ing the lip C upon the free end of the overhanging part Cs it will be apparent that when the end of the wire is clamped in place thatportion thereof adjacent tp the lip will be held tightly against or in contact with said lipand a perfect contact between the wire and said part of the wire is thereby insured.

With this construction it will be apparent 4o that said wire will not fuse inside of its point of contact with the lip C for the reason that said wire will be relieved nf its excess of current by the said lip and holding device Cs with the result of re enting possibility of t5 fusion in its partw ichs held between the opposing parts or jaws o the clamp.

The plug is provided upon its outer face with a mised or elevated portion A', located at the central part thereof, but terminating 5o at some distance from the margin or periph` ery of the plug, so as to form an angular rocess orrabbetA,`adapted to receive themaiu portion of the fuse-wired), which extends between the clamping or holding devices C C.

Said holding devices are located near each other at one side of the plug, and the elcvzted part .A9 referred to is provided with adjacent marginal in which the holding dcvices are located, but is at the same time ex- 6o tendedbetween the said recesses in the fonn of a narrow projection A, said projection being interposed between the holding de vices, and thereby serving to avoid the psibility of short-circuiting between the same. The

raised portion A* and p rojection A thereof will preferablyb'e made' integral with the body of the insulatingmatcrial forming the plug and will have a flat outcr face adapted to be engaged by the inner surface of the cap or cover A when the latter is in position upon 7`o the plug, so as to limit the inward movement of said cover. The fuse-wire will be drawn or extended from one holding device to the other mound the margin of the elevated part A, which by reason of its shape will maiutain in place and in distcnded condition a fnse-wirc of considerable length.

The special arrangement of the parts described-namely, with the holding devices near euch other at one side of the `plug and 8o selmratcd only by the narrow projection A. obviously affordsa maximum length in the groove or rabbet around the margin of the projection, in which the fuse-wire is confined or held and therefore enables a fuse-wire of maximum length to be employed in connection with a plug of usual size.

The general advantage of the arrangement described is that it affords a long space for the f use-wirc between the holdingdevicesandV 9o thereby makes it possible to employ a fusewire of considerable length, it having been found that better and more uniform results are obtained by the use of a long fire. 0bviously the employment of a long wire and the separation of the holding devices to a eonsiderable extent willrender short-circuiting through the air' between the holding devices less likely to occur.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with a block provided with a socket and with insulated terminals therein, of afuse-plug comprisinga cylindric bodyof insulating materialprovided with a reduced end portion adapted to engage said socket in the block, said plug being provided with two recesses to mceiveclamping devices, clamping devices located within said rece for detachably holding the opposite ends of a fuse-wire, means for fastening said clamping devices within said recesses comprising securing-screws which are inserted through apertures in the body ofthe plug and engaged at their inner ends with.said clamping de vices, and contact-pieces secured to the outer r l 5 surface of the plug and connected with the clamping devices by conduct-ors extending through passages in the body of said plug.

2: The combination with a base nrovided with a socket aud with insulating terminals thereinone of which consists of a screwthreadcd ring, of a fuse-plug comprising a solid c vlindric body of f'insuhxting material ros llo

provided with a reduced end portion, =aid plug being provided ou its outer end with two separato outwardly-opening recesses which are closed at their inner cnds, two clamping devices for clamping the opposite endsot :t fu'scavire which an; located and closely-fitted within said a metallic sheath surrounding said nemend ortion ot the block and exteriorly seres-thwulcd to engage said screw-threaded ring, and a coutact-plate located`ccntrally nl' flic lower end of said reduced port-ion which engages the other terminal, one of said clamping devices being provided with a conducting-strip which 'extends through a. passage in the body of the h lock to the said contact-plate aud the other clzii pl ng devieerlxifrg-previdml with 41,5110 rt conducting-strip which extends through a secimd passage in the body of said plug to the-'outer edge of said screw-threaded sheath.

3. The combination "with two clamping parts iu n f use-plug for electrical circuits, one of which is provided outside of its coactilzg.' su rfa ce will' a raised lip or projection, of :i ire which passes transversely over said lip in binding contact 'themwith nnd is clamped al lts end between couetiiig surfaces uf said parts.

'4'. A fuse-plug for electric circuit comprising a solid cylindric body of insulated mate` rial provided with n. reduced inne-r end portion, said plug being provided in its outer end adjacent to one side with two clamping devices adapted to hold the opposite ends of a fuse-wire, :i metallic sheath surrounding said reduced portion and provided with exterior screw-thresds, and a contact-plate located centrally of the inner end of said reduced portion, one of said clamping devices being provided with a cond ucting-strip which ebdsTh-ronglr-an oblique passage inthe 3o body of the plug and is connected with said contact-plate, and the other clamping device being provided with s short conducting-strip which is connected with the outer edge of said screw-threaded sheath, and the outer 35 end of the body being provided with. a. margina! rabbet adapted to receive the part of the fuse-wire between said clamping devices. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my iriventionl aix my signature, in pres ence of two witnesses, this 22d day of September, A.D. 1897.

` LESLIE C. ORRELL.

llitnesses:

'C. CIAmaxcs PooLE,

R. Cu'ram Virus'. 

